Q: My friend says that a chip will be placed in all Sunday worshippers and that this is the mark of the beast. Would you please help me to explain to her that this is not so? — Corrett, from Jamaica
A: Corrett, there are many strange and unusual ideas regarding the mark of the beast, but fortunately we can find true answers to this question in the Bible.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the book of Revelation presents two opposite systems of worship, each with their respective signs. The true worshippers will receive the Seal of God (Revelation 7:1-4, Revelation 14:1). Those who persist in false worship receive the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:15-17).
God’s people receive His seal in their foreheads, symbolizing that they have made a conscious, intelligent choice to serve God in the way He has specified in the Bible by worshipping Him on His holy day — the seventh day, Sabbath (Isaiah 58:13; Matthew 12:8).
All others will receive the mark of the beast in their forehead or in their hand, symbolizing that whether they have made a conscious, intelligent choice, or simply have gone along with the popular tide of false worship, they’ve chosen the same destiny.
Neither the seal of God nor the mark of the beast are a literal or visible sign.
Regarding the seal of God, Ellen White wrote, “It is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so that they cannot be moved” (“Maranatha,” p. 200).
If you would like to learn more about what the Bible says on various topics, the It Is Written media ministry offers online Bible courses absolutely free. If you would like to learn more on this specific subject, you can read Lesson 26, “The Mark of the Beast and the Mystery Number 666” on the It Is Written website.